The Summer Olympics. The pinnacle of world sport.
Originating in Ancient Greece, the modern version of the Olympics features a far more diverse range of sports than before with many more being added due to rising popularity. In the last decade, sports such as BMX, trampolining and Tae Kwon Do have been added to the Olympic programme, giving the Summer Olympics a total of 26 sports and 302 medals.
The fastest growing sport today is undoubtedly mixed martial arts. Nowadays there is an MMA event every week, whether it be UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator. People are now training in mixed martial arts from a much younger age. It is quickly overtaking boxing as the world’s most popular combat sport.
Originally MMA was considered by many to be too violent to be a sport, being banned in states such as New York and being referred to as human cock-fighting by many. But with established rules and the creation of weight classes, it has shed most of that reputation and has become popular not just for its violence but also for its technical mastery, with competitors having to show skill in the difference phases of MMA.
Without further ado, here are my five reasons why mixed martial arts should become an Olympic sport…